FIRST POST: USA: GEMINI OR SAG RISING?; SATURN-NEPTUNE AND IRAQ; SATURN-NEPTUNE AND OIL; THE 'TROUBLE' WITH DEMOCRACY

I've been comparing what seem to be the 2 main astrological charts used for the USA -the Gemini Rising Chart and the Sibly Chart (which has Sagittarius Rising). They both seem to work well in different ways, particularly by transit. The classic example was the Saturn-Pluto opposition which was occurring in Gemini-Sag on 11th Sept 2001, and was aligned with the ASC-DESC axis of both USA charts. Pluto in Sag - fundamentalist terrorism. Saturn in Gemini - the twin (Gemini) buildings (Saturn) representative of America's achievements (Saturn). Isn't astrology eerily literal sometimes?

Before my 5 year old son was born, his mother got thrown off and trodden on the ribs by a horse. They were both all right, but he was born with Moon (mother) opposite Chiron (Centaur/Horse).

Back to the USA Charts. Though both work for 9/11, I think the Gemini Rising chart is more symbolically accurate, as the attack was by others (Pluto in Sag on the Desc) directed at the USA's expression of itself (the Twin Towers), rather than the other way around.Incidentally, the Sibly Chart is set for 5.10pm, and the Gemini Rising Chart for 2.17am, on the 4th July 1776 in Philadelphia. Both charts were derived symbolically, though there appears to be a certain amount of historical evidence for each. We will never know! Anyway, surely an entity as complex as a country may have more than one chart?

As a natal Chart, I am more convinced by the Gemini Rising Chart. (The symbolic derivation of this chart comes from the old idea of placing on the Ascendant the planet that seemed to be ruling the event - the Declaration of Independence - in this case the newly discovered and revolutionary planet Uranus). Gemini seems to me to describe that split in the American psyche which I won't pretend to understand, but which expresses itself in the nearly 50-50 split between Republican and Democrat. (Incidentally, I am from the UK). Though the 2 parties have changed what they stand for over time (remarkably, the Democrat party was once the pro-slavery party), at the time of the US Civil War the geographical parts of the country that tended to vote Republican or Democrat were virtually identical to what they are now.

So it is an enduring division in the US psyche. It does not readily lead to a country that is at ease with itself (nor does the natal Sun square Saturn.) But it also leads to a country in which genuine debate can occur. The Sag Desc reflects the USA's desire to convert other countries to its own political system which, combined with Uranus Rising, leads to the USA - at least one part of the country - treating Democracy as an Absolute, God-given Truth. Yes, it has its strengths, but it is worth bearing in mind Churchill's comment that Democracy is the worst possible form of government, except for all the others! Anyway, I'm in danger of getting preachy here (I have a Moon-Saturn conjunction in Sag), and nor do I wish to offend anyone!

11th July 2006

MORE WEIRD SYNCHRONICITY

If we progress the US Gemini Rising Chart to 9/11, we find that the ASC/DESC axis was almost precisely inverted. Symbolically, the fundamentalist terrorist without (transiting Pluto on the natal Sag Desc - the 7th House is the House of 'Open Enemies') is also within (Prog Sag ASC) - which is precisely what happened: Al Quaeda members were operating from within the USA.

Anyway, enough about that. I have not 'proved' the case for Gemini Rising (see yesterday's posting). The Sibly Chart, with its MC at 1 Libra, does a much better job of describing the crisis over the Presidency when Nixon resigned in 1974 (Pluto conjunction) and America's reluctant claiming of its place as a world power, when it entered WW1 in 1917 (Pluto Square).

TIME FOR ANOTHER SUBJECT: The Saturn-Neptune opposition in Leo/Aquarius.

These 2 planets came within 4 degrees of Opposition last November. They will finally cross at the end of August, and will do so again in Feb and June 2007.

The US Gemini Rising Chart has Moon at 18 Aquarius (and MC at 14 Aquarius). The series of Oppositions will hit this point HARD. It is difficult not to foresee a crystallisation of the sense of hopelessness (Neptune) on the part of the American people (Moon) around the attempt to create order (Saturn) in Iraq. (And perhaps a sense of despair towards the Presidency itself.) This sense of hopelessness is already strongly present - how could it not be? - but it has not yet been properly acknowledged.

As the novelist Philip Roth (author of "The Plot against America") was saying recently on UK TV, there has been no protest against what the Bush administration is doing, in the way there was against Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam, not even in Congress. It may well be, as the Saturn-Neptune Opposition progresses, that protest develops. Let us hope so (whoops - my Moon in Sag speaking again!) Mind you, we haven't got the benefit of a Uranus-Pluto Conjunction like they had in the 60s. On the other hand, a Saturn-Neptune protest may be more deeply felt and considered, without the gratuitous rebellion against authority that can characterise Uranus-Pluto.

The basic chart for the Bush Presidency is for 12 midday, 20 Jan 2001, in Washington. This chart has a Mercury-Uranus conjunction from 17-20 Aquarius, square to Mars at 16 Scorpio. The Neptune-Saturn Opposition will clearly hit this set of planets quite tightly as well (Neptune on its own has been conjoining for a couple of years, beginning with the errors/lies around Weapons of Mass Destruction coming to light.) This configuration and its transits lends weight to the idea of some kind of widespread recognition of the Iraqi situation, and Bush's part in it, between now and next June.

OIL

The obvious prediction around Saturn-Neptune is a squeeze on oil. This was what happened around the last opposition in the early 70s, when there was an Oil Crisis, and this time we have already seen the beginnings of a squeeze before any actual crossings of Saturn and Neptune have occurred.

Will this be just another squeeze, for whatever reasons, and then afterwards everything can return to normal, albeit at higher prices and a few geo-political shifts? It is possible, with the Neptune-Chiron conjunction following hard on its heels, that we are seeing the beginnings of something other than a short-term squeeze. Saturn can be 'worked through'. Chiron cannot. It asks that we recognise an inherent limitation in the nature of things - in this case, the obvious limitation that oil is a limited resource that we have been treating as unlimited.

We all know this. But Neptune-Chiron may be indicating that we are moving into a time when we act on it. The first Oil Strike was in 1859, with Neptune at 26 Pisces. Oil will have its Neptune Return in 2023, so that is perhaps the time we will see the ending of the Oil Age.

12th July 2006

THE 'TROUBLE' WITH DEMOCRACY

Back to the US Gemini Rising Chart. Gemini is known for liking a fight - with it's mythological division into 'light' and 'dark' twins, that is not surprising. The US also has Mars in First House Gemini. So it likes a fight, just like Tony Blair does, who has Mars Rising in Gemini.

The trouble is, the US also has Uranus Rising, reflecting its democratic ideals. If you want to win a fight, you can't shilly-shally, you can't have 'debate', you can't have the media exposing your wrongdoings. You have to completely believe in your cause, and be ruthless in following it through. And perhaps Gemini isn't very good at this either - much better to have Sag, which believes in the One Truth.

So I think that the USA has the wrong chart for ruling other countries - which is a compliment. Yes, it can conquer them, like it did Germany and Japan, but in those days it had what was called a 'plan' about what to do next, and it exited with honour. If you want to rule another country, you have to be brutal and ruthless in putting down the local opposition - like the Nazis were, or like the Chinese have been in Tibet - or like Saddam (a Sunni) was to the Shias. There was a reason Iraq had a ruler like Saddam - or Afghanistan had rulers like the Taleban.

So what I am saying is that the reason the USA is failing in Iraq is because they are not brutal enough to succeed there. I am not saying that Bodybag Bush hasn't got what it takes - I would not want to question his manhood, and with Pluto Rising, death naturally accompanies him, as he proved while Governor of Texas. The trouble is, he is ruling one of those silly democracies which has certain 'values', and which will only allow a certain amount of the truth to be concealed.

OIL AGAIN

Yesterday I said I reckoned there was a good chance that the upcoming Saturn-Neptune Opposition (first crossing, end of August) would be about more than just a short-term squeeze on oil, and I cited the ensuing Neptune-Chiron conjunction as evidence of this.

There is much more compelling evidence than this, and it is to do with the upcoming Uranus-Pluto Square, the BIG transit coming our way, which will be within an 8 degree orb in just under 2 years time. As it moves into Aries-Capricorn in the following years it will hit the 2nd House Saturn of OPEC (11 Capricorn), the ASC of the 1st Oil Strike (13 Cap), and the charts of ALL the major powers, all of which have significant points in the first half of the cardinal signs.

E.g the USA has Sun at 13 Cancer, the UK's is at 10 Capricorn, Germany's is at 9 Libra, France's is at 13 Libra, China's is at 8 Libra and Russia's is at 3 Capricorn. To some extent this reading depends on which chart you take for those countries.

All this suggests a paradigm shift coming our way in a few years time, and this is beginning to become clear from the seriousness with which politicians are starting to take energy and climate issues. Even George Bush said recently that new energy technologies are necessary to reduce the US dependence on foreign oil. At least something has been learnt from Iraq!

So the Saturn-Neptune Opposition may LOOK like just another oil squeeze because we are using more, and the answer is therefore to produce more. But the wider astrology of the next 10 years strongly indicates we will be forced into a re-think of our technologies - and maybe even our attitude to wealth and 'progress'.

It is easy to damn America for using so much of the world's oil and for being the world's biggest polluter and for refusing to take climate change seriously. And it is a serious and merited criticism. But America is also enormously resourceful and productive and 'can-do', and it wouldn't at all surprise me that when we are finally forced into developing new energy technologies, it will be America more than any other country that will lead the way.

Saturn-Uranus is associated with technological breakthrough, and the USA has a Trine. In the Gemini Rising chart, Uranus is on the ASC in Gemini (trine to Saturn). America is naturally innovative and inventive.